The present invention relates to the field of racetracks for go-karts and, more particularly, to an elevated racetrack which may be erected over a parcel of land having a stormwater retention basin thereon.
Go-karts and similar motorized amusement vehicles have been popular for many years. Driving a go-cart on a suitably proportioned racetrack is a fun-filled experience for the entire family, young and old. Racetracks for go-karts have been part of the amusement park industry practically since commercially available go-karts appeared on the market. Most go-cart tracks are asphalt or concrete racetracks built at ground level, much as roads for regular vehicles.
Because of the technical difficulty and expense involved in building an elevated go-cart racetrack, fewer of these tracks have been built. In addition, building an elevated racetrack using conventional techniques, such as concrete or asphalt, greatly increases the expense of construction. Therefore, builders have turned to wood as a suitable construction material for elevated go-cart racetracks.
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a go-cart racetrack including an elevated wooden racetrack surface supported by a structural frame anchored to the ground below. The wooden racetrack surface includes a plurality of floor boards, has opposing first and second outer peripheries defining the outer edges of the racetrack, and extends along a plurality of tiers elevated above ground level. The wooden racetrack surface also includes a plurality of banked curves formed from a plurality of wooden floor boards laid flat to form at least one straightaway, and at least one banked curve. Each floor board has two lengthwise, substantially parallel, spaced apart sides, so that a first floor board of the plurality abuts a second floor board of the plurality so that the two substantially parallel, spaced apart sides of the first floor board are substantially parallel to the two substantially parallel, spaced apart sides of the second floor board. A racetrack support frame comprising a plurality of vertical support posts anchored on suitable land and a plurality of support members connected thereto supports the wooden racetrack surface above ground. Each banked curve formed by this construction method includes several sections of track having floor boards aligned in parallel. The banked curves are very quickly constructed by this technique, avoiding the need for cutting each individual floor board along a radius of the curve.
The wooden racetrack surface is supported on a racetrack support frame having a plurality of vertical support posts positioned anchored on suitable land and connected to a plurality of support beams and support joists and stringers acting as braces positioned abuttingly underlying and connected directly or indirectly to the wooden racetrack surface, to provide elevation above ground and structural support.
In a preferred form, the elevated wooden go-kart facility comprises at least two independent and adjacent wooden go-kart tracks, each track having straightaways and banked curves arranged in tiers, and with portions of the elevated wooden tracks supported above other activities. In a specific embodiment, a portion of one of the wooden tracks is supported above a body of water (such as a water ride, for example) and/or a portion of one of the wooden tracks is supported above a building.